Computed tomography of epidural hematomas. Association with intracranial lesions and clinical correlation

Computed tomography was carried out in 24 patients with epidural hematomas. The development of symptoms was noted as was the clinical state on admission and after treatment. The clinical picture was correlated to the size of the hematomas and to presence and size of associated intracranial lesions. All patients with epidural hematomas but without other intracranial lesions, had either a symptom-free interval or latent period after the initial trauma. More than 40 per cent of patients with associated intracranial lesions also had a free interval or a latent period. The clinical state on admission was limited prognostic value unless the pain reactions were extinguished, which indicated a bad prognosis. Shearing injury of the white matter was also unfavourable. Three patients died, constituting a mortality of 12.5 per cent in the present series.